This mural was commissioned for the Avenue Concept’s Residency program and in partnership with Open Door Health. NYC-based artist Brian Kenny created the mural “Love Is A Many Gendered Thing” as an homage to the Trans and Queer communities of Providence and the world.
The piece is full of hidden iconography and also features various people Brian felt compelled to capture and celebrate.
The faces featured are:
-Cristina Hayworth (she/her) (NYC) (deceased)
-Tatiana Jones (she/her) (Providence)
-Sylvia Rivera (she/her) (NYC) (deceased)
-Elle Moxley (she/her) (NYC/LA)
-Kayden (he/him) (Providence)
-Richie De Filippo (he/him) (Providence)
-Chris Harris (he/him) (Providence) (deceased)
-iO Tillet Wright (he/him) (NYC/LA)
-Alice Firefly (she/they) (Providence)
-Shey ‘Ri Acu’ Rivera Rios (they/them) (Providence)
-Nielle Taylor (she/her) (Providence)
-Nicholas Platzer (he/him) (Providence/Miami)
-The Merperson is an ode to Matt Garza (they/them) and the incredible work they have done through the Haus of Glitter in Providence.
Other references and hidden imagery in the mural includes:
-Snakes as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom.
-Butterflies as a symbol for transformation.
-Human teeth as a totem for humankind and as a symbol of the generations who have come before us.
-Nautical references as an ode to the Ocean State and Merfolk.
-Blue Violet flowers as the Rhode Island state flower.
-The shirt with watermelons and pineapples is a nod to the mural “She Never Came” by Bezt which was installed in Providence in 2015.
-Mr Gay RI worldwide is adorned with the LGBTQ+ Equality symbol and a sash of the Progress Pride flag.
-The Transgender symbol is on the center top of the mural.
-The blue and pink lava lamp shapes in the background are meant to represent the idea of gender fluidity with the violet symbolizing the spectrum in between the male/female binary. The bubbles that break the white frame are meant to symbolize the idea that sometimes gender identity can also fall outside the lines we think of.
TAC and Kenny would like to thank Alice Firefly who worked tirelessly with him to complete the mural, the Pearl Street Loft Association and Armory Revival, for the use of their wall, Hilton and Adler’s Design Center & Hardware for their in kind sponsorship, and especially Open Door Health, without whom this mural could not have been made.
Find an in depth breakdown of the mural in the blog post below.
Faces in the Crowd: The People & Symbols in Brian Kenny’s Mural
